NCS Wrestling: Day Two

Well, that’s all she wrote. A successful night all the way around, I’d say. I’m going to go try to drive from Newark to Walnut Creek in the inclement weather, so I’ll sign off for the night. I hope everyone enjoyed the updates, even though they were sporadic down the stretch. You better believe I’ll have some final thoughts later tonight and we’ll blog from the road on the way to Bakersfield later this week. This is Ben Enos, signing off.

5:55 pm: Nkunku is the first third-place finisher of the night, beating Crosby. We’ll see both of them next weekend in Bakersfield.

5:45 pm: Jon makes the unconventional pick at 160 pounds in the comment section. We shall see. Third place matches have started with College Park’s Gerson Nkunku taking on Castro Valley’s Ben Crosby (or Crosby Ben if you believe the brackets) at 171 pounds.

5:30 p.m.: Liberty is a virtual lock for the team title. Roger Hutchison just took fifth and gritted through a knee injury that has him wincing right now. That kid is tough. The Lions peaked at absolutely the right time this year and you’ve got to give a lot of credit to Greg Chappel, Rudy Dizon, Roy Rios and the rest of the Liberty coaching staff.

5:20 pm: Mom Lefever, we were sitting here during the break listening to her warm up. Those who haven’t heard her before are in for a treat tonight. I’m looking forward to it.

5 pm: Marc, right now 7th place matches are finishing up. The camera is trained on the middle mat and the far mat from where I am. 5th place matches are about to begin and they’re starting at 171 pounds tonight.

4:40 p.m.: Atta boy Mike. Your picks look strikingly similar to Hoose’s picks. That is sure to end in doom.

4:30 p.m.: We’re in the middle of 7th place matches at the moment. I noticed that we’ve got some fans on thecaliforniawrestler.com. Bring those picks guys. I’m all for getting humbled by the wrestling fans out there. Heck, I need something to keep people coming back.

4 pm: Prediction time. Waterhouse, Durkin and myself will all pick the finals. I’m defending my crown from Mission San Jose. We should have those in a few minutes.

3:55 p.m.: NCS associate commish Gil Lemmon is in the house. So are the wrestlers, as the gym has been re-opened. Fans are filing in. I’m flanked by Steve Waterhouse and J-Durk. Let’s get this thing going.

So, there it is. A few faces we didn’t expect and several that we did. The gym is cleared out right now and the Newark wrestlers are breaking mats down so that only three remain. The rumor is that they’ll start finals at 171 pounds, but I’ll find out for sure.

1:50 pm: Lunch break for me. Be back soon.

1:40 p.m.: David, yeah, the Falcons are holding their own. I think a few of those guys should medal. Gonzalo ran into McCovey from Del Norte and that guy is a beast. Good to hear from you.

1:40 p.m.: I’m struggling to find results for the Rancho kids. Give me a minute, as I think I’m going to need new brackets to figure that out. Sorry. Prado, Corbin won 10-3.

1:35 pm: Cooper just lost on the mat in front of me. Got teched in the third period. Corbin got poked in the eye but is up 7-3 in the 3rd.

1:30 p.m.: If this is David Prado I’m talking to, what’s up man! Corbin and Cooper are wrestling right now. Results in a second.

1:30 p.m.: Alright, semis are all taken care of. When they post brackets, I’ll put them up. In the meantime, we’ve got consolation action on each mat.

1:12 p.m.: My mistake on Heffelmire. I saw the scoreboard as they were changing it. Must mean I’ve got some help here in the stands!

1:10 p.m.: BIG Dan Stoops of Mission San Jose is on the mat for the heavyweight semis. He is known officially as BIG Dan Stoops.

1:10 p.m.: College Park’s Gerson Nkunku just lost 6-5 to Dublin’s JT Baumann. Baumann heads to tonight’s championship against Pica.

1:05 p.m.: College Park’s Joe Heffelmire just stopped by the table to ask for a writing utensil. Very polite young man he is.

1 p.m.: DLS 171-pounder Tito Pica just pinned his opponent in 40 seconds. That kid is just mean when it gets to this level.

12:55 p.m.: Jason Welch advances with a techniccal fall win over Jordan Porter. Also, Joe Heffelmire of College Park just scored an overtime win to advance to the 152-pound final. The Falcons roll on!

12:35 p.m.: High drama at 135 pounds. Granada’s Nick Hernandez just took Stephan De La Cruz down with 10 seconds left to tie the match at 6.De La Cruz is hurt, limping around the mat. UPSET!!! Nick Hernandez scores a takedown in overtime to beat De La Cruz 8-6. He’ll face Liberty’s David Rios tonight.

12:25 p.m.: I walked into the building here at Newark Memorial and the first thing I saw was College Park’s Dylan Phillipy pulling the upset at 125 pounds with a win over Healdsburg’s Wesley Young. He’ll wrestle James Logan’s Ruben Baca in tonight’s championship. 130s and 135s are on the mat now.

Alrighty, this is the day everyone waits for. The NCS meet wraps up tonight and we’ll be there through it all. By now, you probably know that the finals will be webcast over at Newark Memorial’s web site. You can find a link to that on the NCS home page. As a result, I won’t be providing blow-by-blow coverage during the finals, since I’ll have to worry about writing on deadline anyway.

For now, here are a few first-day impressions:

1. Everyone was channeling a good thought for Granada’s Anthony Horn, who had to be carted out with a dislocated elbow. Here’s hoping he’s doing OK this morning.

2. There’s a rumor going around that they might start the championship round at 171 pounds tonight. Hmm, wonder why they would want to end at 160 pounds?

3. Best semifinal match this morning? I’ll go with Livermore’s Alec Fraser against Foothill’s Chase Aura at 119 pounds. Fraser beat Aura 4-3 at last weekend’s EBAL meet when Aura got whistled for a full-nelson and penalized two points. Something tells me this will be a knock-down, drag-out brawl.

What I can tell you is that I’ll get to the gym around 1 pm and I’ll post the finals matchups with some analysis. Steve R. Waterhouse and I may even engage in some more prediction madness like we did at Mission San Jose. Anyway, check back here around 2. I should be settled in by then.

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I know the three in the semis lost, but Any idea on how the two freedom kids left in consos are doing?

art

Results on Guinn and Gordon from Rancho Cotate?

Prado

Hey what up! I’m sitting here in my dorm dying that i can’t be there and I figured I’d give my coaches a break from calling haha. Thanks for the update, hopefully Freedom can still get the 3-4 left to state

what happened with ST Pats 112 and 119 lbs? balisteros and espinosa in 7th and 5th matches?

keith

thanks

paul ramirez

Go Lions!!!

The comments regarding the Liberty coaches keeping the guys focused on the whole season is truly their success. Always letting them know not to give up or get down. The best example of peaking at the right time. As my fellow wrestling teammate George Zamora said it best “Go Lions and bring IT Home!!!

Paul Ramirez
Liberty High Wrestler Class of 1969

Jon

No, but I am up here in Healdsburg and gotta rout for Sonoma County. Pappas does look good but I admit not at the same level as Welch.

Jon

Please let me know about 3rd place at 125 and 152. (Young and Tsarnas)

Jimmy Durkin

Gotcha Jon, nothing wrong with a homer pick. I’ll try to get those third place matches. Give me a second. I didn’t see them (was interviewing somebody), so I’ll try to track them down.

Go Knights

Go Big Joe Heffelmire! He volunteers his time along with College Park’s Gerson and teaches little boys how to wrestle during the springtime. He is polite & respectful. I only wish him the best. Go Joe and go Jason Welch! We are so proud!

Jimmy Durkin

Young won at 125, not sure about 152 though. They started taking down the bracket posters they have up here and that one’s gone. If I find out, I’ll let you know.

Go Knights

How high do you have to place to make it to CIF state? Top what?

Jimmy Durkin

Top four

Go Knights

So it is Top Four, thanks. All these guys have made it to Bakersfield. Fantastic!

David congrads to you, you deserve the title.You is number one!YOu do all your talking on the mat the way it should be your a class act.!!!

Jimmy Durkin

I see Ben conveniently never revisited the final standings in our pick ’em challenge. Well, I’d like to point out that Ben did very well with a 12-2 record, the Hoose limped home a bit with an 8-6 mark, while I recorded a 13-1 record to win the title!! I think Ben needs to pass over that wizard’s hat!!

Ben Enos

J Durk gets the crown tonight. I’ll have my revenge at state though. I’m a solid 12-2 guy. I think that’s what I went at Mission. Durkin had Acosta at 112 and that was the best match I’ve seen in a long time. No shame in losing that one.

Marla McDonald Cushman

YOU, Durkin and the other guy(sorry), rock! Thanks for the minute-by-minute update, almost like being there! Hope you don’t give up your wrestling coverage next year. God forbid Dennis Miller and his totally biased prose…..
BTW- who sung the national anthem? And how can we getJessica LaFever in next year?!

Contra Costa Times Prep Sports Staff

It was a guy from Bakersfield. Not sure of his name, although I remember thinking he’d be a good Nick Lachey stand-in. Durkin tells me he was a three-time state qualifier so, on second thought, he might be able to take Lachey. Who knows.

Marla McDonald Cushman

Ok, I think you guys have a flask of somethin-somethin’ down there! LOL! Not to mention you are getting loopy from your 3 am posts last night! Figure skating is a tough sport, as is gynastics, I think I would rate those and wrestling with wrestling #1 , gymnastics #2, figure skating #3 in toughest! But, we are talking WRESTLING BOYS! Hahahahaha!